damhttp://www.readthehook.com/taxonomy/term/412/all
enMissing link: State Farm gift connects Albemarle trailhttp://www.readthehook.com/71731/missing-link-state-farm-gift-connects-albemarle-trail
<!&#8211; This will not be inserted &#8211;><!&#8211; This will not be inserted &#8211;><div class="captionLeftLandscape"><a href="http://www.readthehook.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/news-mahon-trail.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-10874" title="news-mahon-trail" src="http://www.readthehook.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/news-mahon-trail-325x243.jpg" alt="news-mahon-trail" width="325" height="243" /></a><strong>County greenbelt supervisor Dan Mahon contemplates a lock that connects to what's left of the <a href="http://www.readthehook.com/Stories/2007/08/16/NEWS-woolenmillsdam-B.rtf.aspx">Woolen Mills dam</a> on the Albemarle side.</strong><br />
<small>PHOTO BY LISA PROVENCE<br />
</small></div>
<p>The little-known Old Mills Trail soon will become a viable path from Darden Towe Park to Shadwell with the Earth Day dedication of a half-mile section of land along the Rivanna River donated by State Farm Insurance.<br />
</p><p class="whitespace">"This is an important piece because it connects the hospital," says Albemarle Supervisor Ken Boyd April 22 at the Pantops site neighboring the under-construction Martha Jefferson Hospital. "Ultimately we'd like to connect it with Monticello," he says.<br />
</p><p class="whitespace">With the 10-acre gift from State Farm, Old Mills Trail meanders six miles along the Rivanna and takes in historical sites such as the <a href="http://www.historicwoolenmills.org/chronology.html">Woolen Mills dam</a>, <a href="http://www2.iath.virginia.edu/schwartz/vhill/rivanna.html">Port Pireus</a>, a canal towpath, and ancient Three Chopt Road.<br />
</p><p class="whitespace">Albemarle's Dan Mahon was in negotiation with State Farm for four years, and isn't quite ready to declare the trail open for business, but says it could be by this summer.<br />
</p><p class="whitespace">"Even with concerns about budgets, we can embrace this and its value to the community," says Mahon. "This works on so many levels.<br />
</p><p class="whitespace"><a href="http://www.readthehook.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/news-oldmillstrail-map.jpg"><img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-10910 alignleft" title="news-oldmillstrail-map" src="http://www.readthehook.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/news-oldmillstrail-map-140x179.jpg" alt="news-oldmillstrail-map" width="140" height="179" /></a>"There's a lot of heritage here," points out Mahon. "It's important for understanding where we are&#8211; our natural heritage and our cultural heritage.<br />
</p><p class="whitespace">"If you look around," he adds, "you'd hardly believe it's Pantops."<br />
</p><p class="whitespace">Volunteer and inmate labor will keep costs down.</p>
http://www.readthehook.com/71731/missing-link-state-farm-gift-connects-albemarle-trail#comments_BreakingNews_WalkaboutFeaturedInfrastructureOutdoorsdamold millsrivanna rivertrailThu, 23 Apr 2009 15:38:01 +0000lisa71731 at http://www.readthehook.com